Chapter Seven

 

 

As the minutes dragged by, Abby resisted the urge to check her watch and tried to concentrate on what the speaker on the panel was saying. It was only day one of the conference but her focus was shot to hell already, and had been for the past two hours.

Time was crawling along, torturing her with its slow passage when all she wanted was to get out of here and meet Kai. He was picking her up here at the Grand Wailea Hotel as soon as she finished up. She couldn’t wait.

The speaker was droning on about the latest research on prescription opioids here in Hawaii contributing to the opioid crisis, as compared to the mainland. Information she was well versed in because of her position within the company, so she’d heard it all a hundred times before.

Anytime now, guys. Wrap it up.

The past nine days had been a total blur, and in her precious downtime all she could think about was Kai. Would trying a relationship with him be a huge mistake? That kiss sure as hell hadn’t felt like a mistake. No, it had felt like everything she’d been missing.

Every time she thought about it, her body lit up all over again. No man had ever affected her like that with a single kiss. He was also a good man, with a good heart. Dependable. Fun. Dedicated. Nothing like the men she’d been with before.

After what she’d been through, Abby wouldn’t tolerate cheating, or any kind of abuse. Not ever again. As far as she could tell she didn’t have to worry about those things with Kai, but because of her history she would be wary in the beginning. But he was loyal to his teammates, and he’d hung in there with Shelley for way longer than he should have.

She yanked her attention back to the presentation as the conference organizer stepped up to the microphone at the center of the stage.

“If anyone would like to make a donation in Doctor Bradshaw’s honor, the family would prefer that in lieu of flowers. I have a list of charities the family has specified here if you are so inclined at the end of the panel discussion.”

It was a sober reminder, and made her feel even worse for letting her mind wander. Dr. Bradshaw was a pain management specialist, and was supposed to have led the panel discussion. But he’d been murdered a few days ago, his body found next to his car at his medical clinic after someone had shot him repeatedly at point blank range.

It had been all over the papers and news here, the conference giving the awful story even more visibility. He’d been a church and family man, well-liked and respected, with lots of volunteer work within the community. Everyone seemed shocked at his murder. So far the police had no suspects, and no motive for the killing. Rumors she’d heard today at lunch suggested Bradshaw’s colleagues blamed a junkie looking for opioids.

Incredibly sad and ironic, considering this panel was about the impact of opiate addiction, the root causes and the epidemic it had become around the world. Here in Hawaii, most of the synthetic “designer” drugs came from Asia, while most of the cocaine and heroin was supplied by the lethal Veneno cartel.

Abby hated those bastards with a passion. They were ruthless monsters, had no qualms about who they targeted or killed, even kidnapping the daughter of Kai’s teammate and selling women into sexual slavery.

The hotel and conference staff had added extra security, just in case the attack wasn’t random. All the heavy hitters from the pharmaceutical world were here, and a good chunk of the world’s leading pain specialists.

As soon as the panel wrapped up, she texted Kai and made a donation to one of the charities Dr. Bradshaw had volunteered at. She hurried up to her room to change and freshen up, then made her way down to the lobby to wait for Kai, fighting the nervous flutters in her stomach. They liked and trusted one another. But was that enough, to warrant risking their friendship on this? There were still so many things she didn’t know about him.

Based on the way he’d kissed her, and her reaction to it, things were going to move fast if she went ahead with this. She was afraid of losing him if this didn’t work out, and told herself she was stupid to consider it given he was only a few weeks out of his relationship with Shelley.

Yet even all that wasn’t enough to kill the hope and excitement inside her. Her mind was made up. She would see how things went, talk to him early on and make sure he was on board with maintaining their friendship if this didn’t pan out. That was key for her before she was willing to agree to anything else.

A warm, tropical breeze bathed her when she stepped outside into the night, rustling the fronds of the palm trees overhead. The smell here was incredible, and she’d noticed it when she’d stepped off the plane at the airport. Green. Lush.

Tiki torches flickered around the entrance, and the scent of gardenias filled the balmy air. Lord, it really was paradise here. She couldn’t wait to see more of it with Kai.

Moments later, a cherry red convertible Mustang pulled up. Her heart skipped when she saw Kai at the wheel. He broke into a wide grin when he saw her, and heat pooled low in her belly.

Smiling, she hitched the strap of her purse up higher onto her shoulder and hurried to the car. He climbed out and came around to meet her, six-foot-four of powerful, sexy man that made her heart trip all over itself.

“Aloha,” she laughed as she got close to him.

“Aloha, shortcake,” he murmured, and pulled her into a big bear hug.

Abby barely stifled a groan as her entire body went haywire. Oh, his voice. A deep, velvet rumble. All that strength and warmth wrapped around her like a protective blanket…it turned her to mush. And he smelled amazing, something soapy and spicy and all man.

Every last one of her pragmatic thoughts about their friendship being paramount to anything else went poof at the feel of his arms around her. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” He eased up on the hug and leaned his head back to look down at her, the warm light from the tiki torches reflecting off his bronze skin. One hand stroked over her hair, the side of her face as he stared into her eyes. “You look gorgeous.”

Her cheeks heated but she didn’t even have time to utter a thank you before he bent his head and claimed her lips with his. Abby leaned into him, her palms flattened against his broad chest. The kiss was slow and firm, screaming of possession and ending with a slight nip to her lower lip.

A slow smile curved his mouth as he pulled away, watching her. “So, you hungry?”

Famished. And not necessarily for food. She just wasn’t sure how fast she was willing to move with this, even if her skin was suddenly hypersensitive and her nipples were hard. “Yes.”

“Good. My grandma’s been cooking up a feast all day.”

She blinked at him. “Your grandma?”

He nodded. “I already committed to dinner with her tonight, and promised I’d bring you along. I want you to meet her. That okay?”

Well… Meeting his family seemed like a lot of pressure considering they weren’t even in a relationship yet. She’d envisioned spending time just the two of them tonight, so she could get a feel of what was happening and talk about what they both wanted.

On the other hand, it felt good to know he was comfortable introducing her to the woman who’d raised him. And maybe it was a blessing that they wouldn’t be alone, so their chemistry couldn’t get in the way and cloud her judgment.

“Sure.” She couldn’t help but smile as he took her hand and led her to the Mustang. He opened her door for her, waited for her to settle into the plush leather bucket seat before closing the door and rounding the hood.

Once he was inside he did up his seatbelt, paused in the act of reaching for the keys in the ignition, and instead lifted a hand to cradle the side of her face, bringing her gaze to his. He must have had the seat pushed all the way back to accommodate his long legs, but he still looked crammed into the car. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he murmured.

Oh, man. There was no way she could stay just friends with him. “Me too.”

Kai grinned, kissed her softly, then started the car and pulled out of the hotel parking lot. “How’s the conference going so far?” he asked as he turned onto a wide street lined with lush monkeypod trees, their huge, leafy canopies spreading out overhead like giant green umbrellas.

“Pretty good.” She drew in a deep breath of the fresh, tropical-scented air and told him about Dr. Bradshaw and the extra security.

“Yeah, it’s been all over the news. You okay?”

“Yes, fine. What about you, how was your week with the team?”

“Helluva lot of fun, actually. We worked long days, but we had fun too.”

“That’s good.” She paused. “What is it you do, exactly? I’ve been dying to ask you. Can you tell me?”

“Wish I could. I want to, and I trust you, but for security reasons I can’t. Yet.”

“Yet?” As in, he would once they’d been together for a certain amount of time?

“Yeah.”

She decided to let that drop because she wasn’t ready to look too far ahead and just wanted to take things one day at a time with him. He drove her up the west coast of the island, through Kehei and then north across Maui’s “neck” toward the airport. But before reaching it, Kai turned south, heading inland toward the heart of the island.

“This is the upcountry,” he told her. “My tutu moved up here to Pukalani after I joined the Marines. It’s quieter up here. She loves it.”

“Oh, where did you grow up?”

“Wailuku. West of where the airport is.”

Out here there were no towns, only farms and ranches and houses dotted along the foothills of the ancient mountains. The road was a twisting black ribbon as they climbed into the hills in the darkness, lit only by the Mustang’s headlights.

Kai pointed out sugarcane and pineapple plantations along the way, told her ancient Hawaiian legends about how the island of Maui was formed, when Maui pulled it from the depths of the ocean with his magical fishhook.

“Here we are,” he said, turning down a long driveway. It was too dark out to see much, but the land sloped gently away from the tidy little yellow house set in the middle of the lot.

A tiny, thin woman with deep bronze skin and a head of thick white hair appeared at the door, her wrinkled face lighting up when she saw them. “Aloha.”

“Aloha, Tutu,” Kai said, stepping forward to embrace her. Abby loved that he was so openly affectionate with his grandmother. He turned toward her. “This is Abby.”

His grandmother inclined her head with a big smile. “Abby. E komo mai.” She gestured for Abby to come in.

“Aloha, Mrs. Maka. Mahalo for inviting me,” she answered, using the full extent of her Hawaiian vocabulary in those two short sentences.

The woman’s sharp brown eyes darted to Kai. “You didn’t tell me she’s as pretty as a fairy princess,” she said with a heavy accent.

“Well, I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”

Abby blushed and didn’t know what to say, relieved when Kai led her inside to the entryway.

“Take off your shoes,” he whispered, sliding off his flip-flops.

Abby did the same, lining them up neatly at the door. His grandmother was already in the kitchen, and whatever she was cooking smelled so good that Abby’s stomach growled. She followed Kai into the cozy, tidy space, taking in all the bright colors and tropical plants lined up in vivid clay pots on the windowsills. “Can I help with anything?” she asked.

“No,” his grandma answered, smiling at Abby over her shoulder. “Kai told me how much you love food. I like a girl who likes food.”

“Well then you and I are going to get along great.”

The old woman grinned. “He also said what a fabulous cook you are, but tonight, we want you to just relax. We want you to feel at home, so we cooked you our favorite Hawaiian dishes to sample.”

“We?” she said, looking at Kai. “You made this together?” It was sweet that he’d told his grandmother that she was a good cook. If he’d been talking to her about Abby, that had to mean something, right?

“Yes, ma’am. I wanted your first home-cooked Hawaiian dinner to be memorable.”

Warmth filled her chest. None of the men she’d been with had ever appreciated or understood her love of food. She wasn’t sure whether Kai had done this in a deliberate attempt at seduction, but that’s exactly what it was. And it was working.

“Well I can’t wait to taste everything.” She was fascinated by the various foods laid out on platters, thrilled at the prospect of eating local cuisine prepared by Kai and his grandma.

The older woman flapped a hand at Kai without looking up from what she was doing at the counter. “Go pour her a glass of plantation tea and take her out onto the lanai.”

Kai winked at Abby and moved to the fridge to pour her a glass from a chilled pitcher. “It’s iced tea with pineapple juice,” he said, handing it to her.

“Freshly squeezed pineapple juice,” grandma interjected, stirring something over by the stove. “None of this juice from a carton nonsense. Fresh Maui pineapple and home-brewed tea.”

Abby resisted the urge to put a hand over her heart. She was all about making things from scratch and ditching the processed crap. “I think I already love her,” she murmured to Kai.

He grinned back. “Knew you would. Come on.” Setting a hand on her lower back, he guided her through the small living space that adjoined the kitchen, and out through a large set of sliding glass doors onto the lanai.

“Ohhh,” she breathed when they stepped outside onto the wooden deck. “This is incredible.”

“Yeah. Tutu has a real gift.”

It was like a little wonderland back here. The wood deck led to a small brick patio, and everything was enclosed by a wall of green, lit up by strands of fairy lights. And the smell. She’d never get enough of it.

Palm trees anchored the corners, their curved fronds rustling gently in the warm breeze, carrying the sweet scent of flowers and bringing the soft music of wind chimes to life. A variety plants in various shades of green, red, orange and pink surrounded the space, giving it the feel of total seclusion. Little statues and figurines peeked out from their hiding places where they’d been tucked in amongst the plants and pots.

“It’s so private and peaceful,” she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to better enjoy the lush scents.

“Here’s the best spot,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers and tugging her to a swinging bench set in the far-left corner, tucked beneath a wrought iron arbor dripping with some kind of multi-colored flowering vine. Bougainvillea, Abby thought it was called.

She sat next to him, savoring the private moment and the chance to lean into his hard frame, the glass of ice-cold tea in her hand. Draping an arm over the back of the swing, he played with the back of her hair gently, setting the suddenly oversensitive nerve endings in her nape on fire. “Look up,” he murmured.

Feeling a little drugged by his nearness and the gentle caress of his fingertips, Abby tipped her head back. There in the midnight blue sky, a half-moon glowed through the palm fronds, bathing everything with a pale silvery light. “This is unbelievable,” she whispered. Romantic. Magical. A thousand times more poignant because she was sharing it with Kai.

“You should have seen her old place, where I grew up. It was close to the ocean, so at night we would sit out back in the garden and look out over the water. It was really something.” He glanced down at her. “How’s your tea?”

She took a sip, sighed at the refreshing, not overly sweet taste. “It’s my new favorite drink.”

His low chuckle made her insides flutter. “I thought you’d like it.”

What wasn’t to like? This…date, if that’s what it was, wasn’t what she’d expected, but it was better. And something she never would have had the chance to experience if they’d gone for dinner back in town somewhere.

Abby studied him, letting her gaze travel over every line of his proud, chiseled face. She needed to know where they stood before this went any farther, what he wanted. Because she didn’t want to risk her heart all on her own, and there was no way she could keep her heart out of the equation if they continued down this path.

She’d just opened her mouth to ask him where they stood when his grandmother called out from the house. “Time to eat. Bring Abby in here so we can show her what we made.”

She and Kai shared a private smile. This time she reached for his hand, her heart skipping a beat at the way he squeezed hers in silent acknowledgment. Anticipation and arousal built inside her, every brush of his arm against her, every time she breathed in his scent adding to the heat between them.

In the kitchen, his grandma stood holding out a large plate to Abby, a proud smile on her kind face. “We’ll do a big cookout with a kalua pig another time, but for now…enjoy.”

There was so much food Abby might have been astounded if she wasn’t used to the size of Kai’s appetite. He explained what every dish was, and she tried some of everything. Lomi-lomi salmon, ahi poke, steamed mahi mahi fish wrapped in banana leaves. Laulau, little bundles of pulled pork wrapped and steamed inside taro leaves. Spam musubi—a kind of sushi made out of actual Spam, from a can and everything—fried rice, assorted Hawaiian fruits, and…poi.

“Always wanted to try this,” Abby said, spooning some of the purple paste onto her plate.

“Eat it with a bite of something, not on its own. Otherwise it’s like wallpaper paste,” Kai said.

She laughed and continued filling her plate. He had a mound of food already piled on his. “What’s your favorite?” she asked grandma.

“The mahi mahi,” she answered. “I got it from the market this morning. They catch it fresh every day. You’ll never taste anything better.”

Abby believed it. “And what about you?” she asked Kai.

“Kalua pork,” he answered without missing a beat. “You’ll probably have it at the windup luau at the resort at the end of the conference, but if not, I’ll make sure you get some before you leave the island.”

Sounded like a plan to her.

All three of them sat at the table outside on the deck overlooking the magical oasis grandma had created. Abby didn’t love the poi, but everything else was incredible. “Oh, I’m so full, but I can’t stop eating.”

Grandma smiled, delighted. “I’m glad you like our food.”

“I love it.” She eyed Kai, who was halfway through his second plate. “And here I was made to believe you could only cook steak and salad.”

He shrugged, one side of his mouth tipping upward. “Can’t give away all my secrets at once, can I?” The way he looked at her, the unmistakable male hunger for something other than food in his eyes, had her whole body buzzing with arousal.

Abby grabbed her tea and swallowed a few mouthfuls to cool herself off. It would be way too easy to give into the need he created in her. She had to keep her head on straight, have that talk with him before they were past the point of no return.

After dinner Abby insisted on helping clean up, asking grandma countless questions about the recipes and cooking methods. Once everything was put away, grandma told her stories about Kai and even pulled out old photo albums for them to look through.

“This is Kai and…Hani,” grandma said, faltering slightly on the mention of the second name as she stopped at a picture of the two bare-chested boys with fishing rods over their shoulders. “Kai was around twelve or so here, and Hani ten or eleven. They were on their way down to the beach to catch something for dinner.”

Abby glanced at Kai, next to her on the couch. His expression was unreadable, a slight tension in his square jaw that hinted at inner turmoil.

“They were like brothers and best friends all in one,” the old woman continued, a wistfulness in her voice that tugged at Abby. “He promised to come by and see you while you’re here,” she said to Kai.

The hand on Abby’s shoulder tightened slightly. “Tutu…”

She shrugged, her expression and posture becoming defensive. “I asked him to. You’re ohana, Kai. And ohana is the most important thing.”

Kai didn’t respond, and Abby didn’t dare ask any questions, instead pointing to the next picture to change the subject. “How old was Kai here?” He was in his high school football uniform, already head and shoulders taller than most of his teammates, the proud expression on his face and confident posture hinting at the strength that would make him into the man he was today.

“Fifteen,” grandma said, her face softening into a fond smile. “Look how handsome he was, even back then.”

A little under an hour later, Abby bit back another yawn and blinked to clear her blurred vision. She was so damn tired, but didn’t want the night to end.

“I think the time change is catching up with Abby,” Kai said, the hand cupping her shoulder rubbing gently. “I’d better get her back to her hotel. Conference starts early in the morning.”

Abby didn’t argue. At the door she slipped on her shoes, thanked her hostess for a wonderful evening, and reached out a hand.

Kai’s grandma looked down at it, snorted and held out her arms instead. Abby’s heart melted. She stepped into the embrace, the feel of those thin but loving arms around her making her throat tighten. She was such a sweet lady. “Thank you for having me.”

“No, thank you,” grandma said, squeezing her tight. “I hope you’ll come back again before you leave.” Then, in a whisper, “You’re good for my boy.”

Abby hoped so. But were they good for each other? She’d gotten that wrong before, with disastrous results.

It stayed on her mind the entire drive back to Wailea. She and Kai got along well, but so had she and Roger, at least in the beginning. Did she and Kai have enough in common to have something that would last? She wanted to believe they did.

They were quiet at first, but then the questions in her mind became so loud she couldn’t contain them any longer. “Can we talk about us?” she asked him.

He glanced over at her as he steered down the mountain road, the silvery light of the moon frosting his inky hair. “Sure.”

“Okay, so where do we stand right now?”

The hint of a smile played around the edge of his mouth as he focused back on the road. “You want an actual label for it?”

No. Yes. “I want to know what’s going on here, so I’m sure we’re on the same page.” Because I don’t want to make a fool out of myself and get my heart broken again. And he was the one man who could definitely make a fool out of her.

“What do you want?” he countered.

Grrr. She frowned at him. “Oh, no. You first.”

“Pretty sure I already made that plain around the corner from the elevator the night you came to my place.”

The mention of the kiss triggered a total sensory recall of it. Screw subtlety. “You made it plain you want in my pants, yeah. Is that all you want?” It better not be.

He shot her a disbelieving look and raised a coal-black eyebrow. “No. I want you.”

Those words, in that deep, sexy voice, sent a shiver through her. “What does that mean? For the duration of this trip? Longer? And how do we know it would even work between us? Is it worth risking what we’ve already got, when we might find out we’re not compatible?”

“Isn’t it worth giving it a chance, and finding out for sure?”

She considered that for a moment. “Only if you swear to me we’ll still be friends if it doesn’t work out.” Even though no one could promise that, she needed to know he valued their friendship as much as she did, or no dice.

He inclined his head. “I swear.”

Easier said than done, once people had been intimate and feelings had been hurt when one person broke it off down the road. “So what—”

She broke off when he raised her hand to his lips, pressed a slow, damp kiss to the backs of her knuckles, sending a rush of goosebumps up her arm. “Look. I know you’re still hesitant about this, and I’m trying not to push. How about we just take it one day at a time, enjoy each other’s company while we’re here, and see where things go?”

Because I’m not wired that way? She needed to know the details in advance. “And if they go well, we’d be exclusive?”

He gave her a heated look, his intense gaze dropping to her lips. “We’re exclusive starting now. I would never share you.”

Another wave of heat cascaded over her at the possessive tone in his voice. The idea of being Kai’s alone, the recipient of all that intense masculine focus and heat… Her insides squeezed, that all too familiar throb reigniting between her thighs. “Okay,” she agreed, trying and failing to stem the excitement coursing through her. “One day at a time, and we’ll see where things go.”

“Okay.” He kissed her hand again, the hint of dampness as he trailed his tongue across her knuckle insanely arousing.

The drive back was gorgeous, the warm night air whipping around them in the open convertible. Abby glanced at him, drinking in the sight of his profile, the power of his arms and shoulders. He turned her on big time, but he also made her feel safe.

Safe in a way she hadn’t with anyone else. He would take care of her, protect her if need be. And it meant so much to her that he’d planned that wonderful, unforgettable meal for her. Her stomach was full, she was warm, and in good hands.

By the time they reached the Grand Wailea, it was nearly midnight and she was almost asleep. She sat up in her seat, fighting another yawn. “Sorry. I guess my internal clock hasn’t adjusted yet.”

“It’s okay.” He got out and hurried around to open her door for her, then took her hand and helped her out.

Abby gazed up at him in the flickering light of the tiki torches, indecision tugging at her. Should she ask him to come upstairs, rather than him driving back to his grandmother’s for the night?

Her thoughts scattered when he wrapped one thick arm around her waist and pulled her close, her breasts pressed to the solid wall of his chest. His other hand came up to cradle the side of her face as he leaned down and placed his mouth on hers.

Shocking heat bolted through her, taking her off guard. She’d sworn to take this one day at a time, but her body hated that plan. It wanted Kai, relief from the ache he created inside it, and it wanted that now.

She clung to his shoulders, slid her hands up into his short, thick hair and met each velvet stroke of his tongue, each caress of his lips. The way he held her, hungry and possessive but still gentle, turned her inside out. Within a minute she teetered right there on the edge of control, on the point of caving and asking him to come up to her room.

But Kai surprised her by ending the kiss and releasing her. “I know it’s late, and you’ve got a long day ahead of you tomorrow, plus your internal clock’s all screwed up right now. You need a good night’s sleep.”

At first she wasn’t certain she’d heard him right. She barely caught herself before she could blurt out the words that would seal their fate and change everything irrevocably.

Stay with me tonight.

The tiny amount of self-control she still possessed held firm. She put on a smile for him, nodded. “Yeah. See you tomorrow?”

His dark eyes heated to molten pools in the torchlight. “Shortcake, that’s a promise.” And with that he climbed back into the Mustang and drove away.

Abby stared after him, her body aching with unfulfilled need. The deflated, overwhelming sense of disappointment as his taillights faded away in the distance sealed the deal for her.

She wanted Kai. She trusted him. What was the point in denying herself any longer? She’d been alone for long enough and had her head on straight, was going into this with clear eyes.

So, no. Her mind was made up. New Abby was woman enough to take what she wanted.

Next time she had the chance, she was climbing that sexy mountain of muscle like a goddamn tree.